Zelensky inaugurates memorial to genocide of Crimean Tatars

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky suggested creating a memorial to the crimes against the Crimean Tatars during his meeting with members of the Mejlis (the highest representative body of the Crimean Tatars.)

A crime of genocide was committed against the Crimean Tatars 79 years ago.

"History is not only the events but also the places where human hearts skip a beat upon touching the tragic moments in history.

The Crimean Tatar people deserve a full-fledged memorial that will remind them of the crime committed against them, as well as the victims of deportation and the strength of this people. I believe it to be very important." Zelensky said.

79 years ago, a crime of genocide was committed against the Crimean Tatar nation. Now "evil is back," Zelensky says, having changed its symbols but not its essence.

Hundreds of thousands of people were exiled to a foreign land. The people were deprived of their native home. Soviets tried to erase everything that spoke about them in Crimea, the Ukrainian leader emphasized.

Zelensky stressed that preparations for bringing Crimea back under Ukraine's control and its reintegration are ongoing.

A memorial event, "Remembering history – returning the territory," was held in Kyiv. The main flag of Ukraine in Kyiv was also lowered as a sign of solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people.

Official events are planned in many cities of Ukraine and the world – Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, as well as in Lithuania, Canada, and other countries.

On May 18, Ukraine marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People and honors the memory of the victims of the Crimean Tatar genocide.

The deportation of Crimean Tatars began on May 18, 1944.

Over the course of three days, about 200,000 people were forcibly removed by dozens of railway cars.

Every year on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance, mass commemorative events took place. A mourning rally in the center of the Crimean capital used to happen. However, after the occupation of the peninsula by Russia, it was forbidden to hold similar actions in the center of Simferopol.